Nick Mallett emerges favourite as RFU opt for manager and head coach partnership

The prospect of Saxons coach Stuart Lancaster being in charge of England for
the Six Nations Championship and of former Springboks and Italy coach Nick
Mallett then taking the reins through to the 2015 Rugby World Cup hardened
on Wednesday night.

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Favourite: Nick Mallett is expected to take the reins after the Six NationsPhoto: ACTION IMAGES

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Caring image: Saxons coach Stuart Lancester is in line to be caretaker coach to England for the Six NationsPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

The RFU’s acting chief executive, Stephen Brown, indicated that money would be no object in the search for the right man and a manager will be appointed to work alongside the head coach, aping the way Wales and New Zealand operate. The union also conceded that it would be preferable to have a more hands-on, track-suited head coach. This was not to malign Martin Johnson’s regime, but to put in place a set-up that has sharper lines of responsibility.

The clear terms of reference laid down by the RFU management board could not have been better tailor-made to Mallett’s CV. The England-born Mallett, who has spent most of his life in South Africa, is not available until later in the year.

The RFU announced on Wednesday that it wants to “take time” to find a new head coach, will scour the world to do so and, crucially, will expect whoever gets the job to report only to the chief executive and not to a performance director. Mallett made it clear at the start of the week that he would have no truck with working with any sort of elite rugby director.

The RFU wants the new man in place for England’s three-Test tour of South Africa in June. Ian Metcalfe, the Professional Game Board’s chairman, indicated that they would go through a thorough process to attract the right candidates but admitted that he had phoned Mallett to check out his situation, stressing that this had been after Johnson’s resignation. Even though he was pressed as to the precise terms of reference for the new man, quality is the only factor that matters.

“Our aim is to the get best people,” said Metcalfe, who alluded to a business strategy he favoured. “It’s about getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. And if you get the right seats for them, then there’s a chance of all going in the right direction.”

Metcalfe was talking about the union as much as he was of the team itself. He insisted that he did not have specific individuals in mind.

“I don’t have a shortlist,” said Metcalfe. “I did speak to Nick but haven’t since then. He is someone you’d expect to see on a wider list of potential candidates.”

The union did not agonise over the decision to open up the field to overseas coaches.

“If the combination of coaches in the management team is not all English, then it would be ideal to have some English element,” said Metcalfe. “We haven’t had any philosophical debate about the head coach. We’d love him to be English and there are many fine coaches here. But we want the best, rather than being worried about his nationality.”

The decision to seek a team manager to work in tandem with the head coach is a backhanded compliment to the work done in that selfsame capacity by Alan Phillips, of Wales, and Darren Shand with the All Blacks.

Both were mentioned by Metcalfe. The intention is to have a strong figure there, at ease with the rugby side of affairs although he will have no input in that regard, but someone whom the players will respect. England have a nominal manager in Tom Stokes, who looks after logistics.

He will remain with the new manager there to make sure that there is no repeat of the serious lapses of discipline that blighted England’s World Cup.

Even though Rob Andrew’s role has been redefined, he will play a prominent part in choosing the caretaker coach and will have an input in the decision as to who will take over on a permanent basis.

The new RFU chief executive will be the key figure in that regard. In the short term. Lancaster has already been sounded out, as has Johnson’s scrummaging coach, Graham Rowntree, who can expect a fuller role.

“There is a new elite squad to be named by Jan 11 and they depart for Portugal on Jan 22 prior to the Six Nations,” said Metcalfe. “Appointing the caretaker coach is the first thing on Rob’s desk. We’ve all got a lot of work to do.”

That is true. But at least there was a sense of an ending on Wednesday as well as of a new beginning.